1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an electrosurgical unit (ESU) pencil. More specifically, the present invention relates to an ESU pencil having a bipolar electrode wherein the active and return electrode are contained within the same tip of the ESU pencil and are separated by a high temperature resistant radio frequency (RF) dielectric. The ESU pencil having a bipolar electrode is designed for use with a monopolar ESU device in a bipolar function for cutting and coagulation in medical procedures. When used with a monopolar ESU device, the ESU pencil having a bipolar electrode can also be used for monopolar application wherein a separate electrode is applied to a part of the patient""s body, usually on the patient""s leg, to function as the return electrode. This monopolar function is prevalent in the prior art.
The present invention also relates to a telescopic laparoscopic monopolar/bipolar ESU pencil having an adjustable length electrode capable of accommodating different depths and/or different sizes of adult and children. The telescopic laparoscopic monopolar/bipolar ESU pencil can also be used with an integrated smoke evacuator system such as that previously described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,199,944. Also, the ESU pencil of the present invention having a bipolar electrode may be combined with the suction/irrigation system and apparatus previously described in my co-pending patent application entitled xe2x80x9cAutomatic Suction/Irrigation Apparatus for Use in Laparoscopic Surgery and Electrosurgery and Method Thereforxe2x80x9d which is being simultaneously filed with the present application and is incorporated by reference thereto. Finally, the ESU pencil of the present invention having a bipolar electrode can be combined with attachments so that it can also be used for argon beam coagulation.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the past, electrosurgical devices had an active electrode that was used for performing cutting and coagulation, and a return electrode which usually comprised an adhesive for attachment to a patient""s skin. When the electrosurgery unit surgery pencil was activated, the RF energy circulated from the active electrode to the return electrode through the patient""s body with the distances between the active and return electrodes being fairly significant.
This prior art system presents several deficiencies and creates a number of problems that can be dangerous for the patient. First, because of the significant distance between the active and return electrodes, high voltages at high frequencies are transversed through the body in order to close the circuit between the active and return electrodes. These high voltages and frequencies can be very dangerous to the patient. Second, due to the fact that the body has an electrical resistance, the cutting and coagulation affects are significantly diminished as the distance between the active and return electrodes is increased. Accordingly, high power from the ESU is needed in order to obtain effective cutting and coagulation performance. Again, the high power required from the ESU can be dangerous to the patient.
Third, in many cases, patients have incurred significant burns because of poor contact between the return electrode and the patient""s skin. Finally, dangerous capacitive coupling has occurred in laparoscopic surgery which has resulted in dangerous burns to the patient. These burns could not be detected because they are out of the field of view of the laparoscope thereby putting the patient""s life in danger.
A bipolar function for open and laparoscopic procedures is presently being used with the bipolar suction of the ESU. However, this system and the related instruments are used only to stop bleeding within a patient and is not capable of performing a cutting operation.
As previously stated in the section referred to as xe2x80x9crelated applicationxe2x80x9d, the present invention is related to the same inventor""s pending patent application entitled xe2x80x9cTelescopic Surgical Device and Method Thereforxe2x80x9d. The similarities between the telescopic pencil described in the pending application and the present invention described in this application is that both inventions refer to a telescopic pencil which can have multifunctional applications. The main difference between the inventions is that the pending telescopic pencil patent application refers to a monopolar pencil only which has only one contact for the electrode while the ESU pencil of the present invention described in this application can be used as a monopolar instrument, a monopolar/bipolar instrument or a bipolar instrument. The ESU pencil of the present invention has an electrode which comprises two contacts, one which is used as an active electrode and another which is used as a return electrode when the instrument is used as a bipolar functioning instrument for a monopolar/bipolar functioning instrument. Alternatively, when the instrument is only used as a monopolar functioning instrument, a separate electrode is applied to a different part of the patient""s body, usually on the patient""s leg. This separate electrode functions as the return electrode.
A principal object of the present invention an electrosurgery electrode for performing cutting and coagulation for open and closed endoscopic and laparoscopic procedures wherein the electrosurgery electrode contains both the active electrode and the return electrode on the same tip.
It is a further objection of the present invention to provide a monopolar/bipolar electrode which can be used on the monopolar section of an electrosurgery unit to perform a bipolar function thereby eliminating the need for a separate return electrode.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a telescopic monopolar and monopolar/bipolar electrode and pencil with smoke evacuation means wherein the distance between the operating tip of the electrode and the hand piece is adjustable to accommodate desired lengths associated with different sized patients.
It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide a telescopic monopolar and monopolar/bipolar endoscopic and laparoscopic electrode, with or without smoke evacuation means, wherein the length of the laparoscopic electrode is adjustable.
It is still a further objection of the present invention to provide a telescopic monopolar and monopolar/bipolar ESU pencil with suction/irrigation means wherein the bipolar electrode is automatically retracted upon activation of the suctioning means.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a telescopic monopolar and monopolar/bipolar electrode and pencil for open and closed endoscopic and laparoscopic procedures with suction/irrigation means wherein the electrode can be automatically retracted upon the activation of the suctioning means.
It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide a multi-functional telescopic ESU pencil that can be used for open and laparoscopic electrosurgery that is also capable of performing suction and irrigation, and for argon beam coagulation when used with respective attachments as previously described in reference to my pending U.S. Patent Application entitled xe2x80x9cTelescopic Surgical Device and Method Thereforxe2x80x9d.
Accordingly, the multi-functional telescopic monopolar/bipolar surgical device of the present invention includes a bipolar electrode and a hand piece having electrical contacts wherein the bipolar electrode is connected to the electrical contacts of the hand piece and the electrical contacts of the hand piece are connected to an energy source for activating the device. An electrosurgery unit may be used as the energy source. The bipolar electrode includes an active electrode, a return electrode and an insulator which is sandwiched between the active and return electrodes. The multi-functional telescopic monopolar/bipolar surgical device may further include a telescopic member coupled to the bipolar electrode and the hand piece for adjusting the length of the bipolar electrode. Further, the multi-functional telescopic monopolar/bipolar surgical device may include a smoke evacuation means coupled to the bipolar electrode for removing smoke and other debris that is produced during electrosurgery.
The present invention is also directed to a telescopic suction/irrigation apparatus for open and endoscopic laparoscopic procedures which includes a hollow hand piece member having an open end and an open proximal end and connection means for connecting the hand piece to an energy source for activating suction and irrigation, an elongated hollow tubular member having distal and proximal open ends wherein the proximal open end is introduced into the open distal end of the hand piece so that the elongated hollow tubular members concentrically contained within the channel of the hand piece and locking means for locking the elongated hollow tubular member within the hand piece. Another embodiment of the telescopic suction/irrigation apparatus comprises a hand piece member having connection means to an energy source and means for effectuating suction and irrigation functions, a double channel telescopic suction/irrigation tube having an inner channel and outer channel wherein the double channel telescopic suction/irrigation tube is introduced into the hand piece member such that a portion of the double channel telescopic suction/irrigation tube is concentrically retained within the hand piece, connection means for connecting the inner channel of said double channel telescopic suction/irrigation tube with an irrigation port and the outer channel of the double channeled telescopic suction/irrigation tube with a suctioning port, and locking means for locking the double channel telescopic suction/irrigation tube within the hand piece member.
The present invention is also directed to a method for performing electrosurgery on a patient which comprises the steps of connecting a bipolar electrode having an active electrode and a return electrode to a hand piece with means for alternately effectuating cutting and coagulation with the bipolar electrode, connecting both the active and return electrodes to an energy source, and activating either the cutting or coagulation function using the bipolar electrode.
The foregoing and other objections, features and advantages of the present invention, as well as details of the preferred embodiments thereof, will be more fully understood from the following descriptions made in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.